Tiny predator is captured on Scottish island after dogs and drones used in £150,000 search lasting seven months
A male stoat was captured on Rousay in Orkney on 9 October, ending a seven-month search costing £150,000. Its presence raised concern because stoats prey on native wildlife, including owls and the Orkney vole.
The search used dogs, AI-assisted trail cameras, monitoring equipment and volunteer support across the 4,500-hectare island, much of it difficult-to-cross heather moorland. The Orkney Native Wildlife Project said there was no sign of breeding females and it was confident the incursion involved one animal, though it wants to verify that fully. Stoats are not native to Orkney; more than 9,100 have been removed from the islands since 2010.
- A lone male stoat was caught on Rousay after seven months.
- The search cost £150,000 and covered 4,500 hectares.
- More than 9,100 stoats have been removed from Orkney since 2010.
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Rousay is one of the Orkney islands, where stoats are not native. They are small predators that can prey on local wildlife, including owls and the Orkney vole, a vole found in the islands.
The Orkney Native Wildlife Project works to protect native species by finding and removing stoats. More than 9,100 have been removed from Orkney since 2010, and searches on Rousay involve conservation staff and volunteers using tools such as trail cameras and detection dogs.
The concern is whether a stoat could establish a breeding population and add pressure on wildlife that lives nowhere else. Checking for further animals helps conservation workers understand the scale of the risk.